Laser cutting and engraving machines are widely used by different industries. These machines are not only used by heavy industries but there have been developments in the production of laser cutting machines that can be used right at the comfort of your home. The principle of the use of the possibility of using laser was a concept that was formulated by the popular genius, Albert Einstein, where he played with the possibility of stimulated emission in 1917. We counted years before this theory was fully utilized by the many engineers using the same principle of stimulated emissions. This was later explored by others such as Charles Townes of University of Columbia, Joseph Weber of University of Maryland and Alexander Prokhorov and Nikolai G. Basov of the Lebedev Laboratories of Moscow.
Laser technology in its early days
One of the companies that was able to use this technology that presented no purpose was the Bell Laboratories. Since then, other humanitarian uses were discovered, thanks to the advancement in technology. The first experiment in laser materials processing was conducted by Peter Houldcroft. He used an oxygen assist gas to cut through a thick steel with the use of a focused CO2 laser. Little did he know that this will propel the use of laser in industrial processes. Some people may refer to laser cutting as “new technology” but actually, this technology was already used years before us. Initially, laser systems were developed for military applications while the potential to use them in industrial applications were still being considered.
Special commercial utilizations include industrial laser cutting machines that can cleanly cut materials like steel, aluminum, bronze and titanium. Industrial laser cutting machines are considered to be one of the fastest in machining process for flat sheets and plate metals. It uses high intensity light that is surrounded by a high-pressure gas allowing the production of geometric contours without the need of hard tooling.
The different types of laser cutting machines
There are basically three main types of laser cutting machine configurations that are used in the manufacturing industry. These are moving material machines, flying optics machines and hybrid configuration machines. Different types of lasers can be used by one of the types mentioned earlier. Typically, laser cutting machines are commonly used to cut flat sheet metal material of piping material that are used in industry projects.
The first type of laser machine configuration, the moving material machines, uses laser beams that remain stationary. The one that moves is the material that needs to be engraved or cut. The material that is to be cut is placed on top of a moving surface. One of the advantages of using this type of configuration is that the surface of the material and the opening of the laser have enough separating distance. If you need work to be finished on a fast pace, then be warned because it is the slowest among the three types of lasers.
The second option, the flying optics works the fastest among the three. Instead of the material to be cut doing the motions, this laser system has a laser beam that moves while the material that it works on remains stationary. The laser beam is designed to complete both horizontal and vertical movements and this contributes greatly to the completion time of the work. Although the work is completed at a faster pace, there is the possibility of constantly changing beam light due to the constant movement of the laser beam. There are special tools that were specifically designed to keep the distance of the laser opening and the material the laser working on.
The hybrid configuration lasers are a combination of the features of the two mentioned earlier. These laser cutting machines combine moving material and flying optics machines. The configuration has a table that moves horizontally as the lasers work along the vertical pattern. These types of laser cutting machines give you a more constant stream of laser optics which is far better than flying optics machines. Another advantage is there is lesser loss of power resulting to more energy efficiency compared to flying optics laser machines.
Aside from the three primary machine configurations there are also types of different lasers. These are the neodymium laser, the CO2 laser and the neodymium yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser. The neodymium laser is best for jobs that require high energy. CO2 on the other hand is the most popular among the three because of its versatility. It can handle cutting, boring and even engraving on different types of materials. This comes in many variants depending on the type of work that needs to be done. The third type of laser, the neodymium yttryium-aluminum-garnet laser can be used for boring, trimming, and engraving jobs that require more energy.
Laser cutting as we see today
Now, laser cutters are not only used by heavy industries but some types can be used for different homes. Like for example the Craft Robo/ Silhouette CC330L-20 SD Digital Craft cutting machine for scrapbooking, vinyl, crafts and more. This machine is one tough little cutter and can handle light film to card stock without any problems. This machine is portable and very affordable making it ideal for home use. It has an SD card interface for standalone capability and an LCD display operation. This type of laser can be bought online so if you live in San Diego. California or in any part of the United States, you can just have the item shipped right at your home.
There was a time when engraving for a sterling and cutting a brass case was hard work. With laser technology, we now see some of the most innovative designs on fine arts and sculpture.
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